


Lights

by sweetnuisance



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Bering and Wells, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 19:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetnuisance/pseuds/sweetnuisance
Summary: Episode tag for For The Team





	Lights

The fire was almost dying and the now dull red of the coals along with the orange glow of the lamp beside her chair weren't really enough light for Myka to read by. Though that was hardly an excuse for her staring at the same page since Leena had passed the door to say she was heading to bed almost an hour ago.

In truth she’d been restless since she and Claudia had faced down Artie after their return from California. She’d even driven Artie back to the Warehouse as a task to focus on, willing to face another round of reprimands over the handling of HG Wells but thankfully recovering from anaesthetic and emergency surgery by veterinarian had reduced her boss’ ill temper to merely disapproving mumbles for the extent of the journey. 

At the Warehouse she had made her excuses, leaving Artie with Vanessa, to go find a suitable place to shelve HG’s grappler amongst the artefacts. The bright yellow note from Helena that had been with it now crinkled in her pocket as she slipped her feet out from under herself and stood, stretching out some of the numbness in the legs from them being curled up beneath her so long. When she’d returned to the B&B earlier she’d gone to the bookcases on instinct and found herself with The Time Machine in her hands. Folding herself up in the chair by the fireplace she’d held the post-it against a page briefly, imagining the printed words in the same handwriting as the note, fountain ink scratched onto parchment, before slipping it back in to her pocket. 

Myka considered taking the still unread book up to her room for only a moment before placing it back, fingertips lingering against the rough cloth binding as she slid it into its waiting space on the shelf. 

She paused by the foot of the staircase briefly as she reached to switch off the last of the lights downstairs. Claudia had retreated to her room right before she and Artie had left for the Warehouse earlier and hadn’t resurfaced the rest of the evening and Leena had called her goodnight before going upstairs. Pete was still out on his date with Kelly but Myka decided that he should manage his return well enough without her leaving a light on, the midnight raids on the cookie supplies in the kitchen attested to the fact that her partner could find his way around the B&B blindfolded if necessary. 

Out of habit she avoided the third step from the top as she climbed the stairs, its rather loud creak may add a touch of character to their home but it was a damned annoyance she’d rather not be the cause of, especially as the nearest room was Claudia’s and the junior agent really did need to catch up on her sleep after the first assignment she’d just made it through. With that thought Myka glanced across the landing and noticed there was still light shining out from beneath Claudia’s door. 

Somewhere between curious and concerned she rapped lightly on the door. ‘Claude?’ 

No answer. She must have fallen asleep and left a lamp on, Myka paused her own thoughts with a slight nod of her head and a twitch of a smile tugging at her lips, and knowing Claudia, her laptop still powered up too.

Slowly and quietly Myka turned the handle to the girl’s bedroom, she’d just sneak in and turn them off without waking Claudia. One 'parental’ moment gets a spontaneously grateful and emotional Claudia. Two in one day gets you the surly 'I’m not a child ya know’ version. Though it made Myka chuckle to herself that all bets were apparently off when Claudia was sick or scared as she had been at the bottling plant waiting on HG’s artefact cure.

The door opened slowly and with some effort, Myka looked down noticing a hoodie, likely thrown from across the room, bunched behind it. Abandoned T-shirts and socks, mechanical odds and ends and pages of notes littered the floor between her and the bed and Myka considered maybe the next parental shove aimed at Claudia might need to be toward basic housekeeping. The pool of light she’d come to investigate came from the lamp on the bedside chest of drawers, illuminating nothing of Claudia but red hair as her face was pressed in to her pillow and the rest of her curled up beneath the duvet. The light in the room beyond the sleeping younger woman tapered off in to shadow but not before revealing, perched on the edge of the farther side of the bed, HG Wells. 

In an instant Myka reacted, reaching for her gun only for her fingers to find nothing but the loophole of her jeans. 

Crap. 

Of course she’d put away both her gun and tesla when they’d returned home. Switching mental tracks to assess the strange situation she had stumbled into, Myka noticed HG’s own reaction to her entrance; though she remained sitting beside Claudia, HG now held up both hands. It was obviously a gesture of peace rather than surrender, though it did seem more submissive this time than the lightly mocking way she’d turned to face them back at the Coach’s office. It was good to know being slammed up against the wall with Myka’s hand wrapped around her throat was all the lesson HG had needed.

'I only wanted to check on Claudia.’ Her voice carried easily across the room to Myka even though it was only just above a whisper, not disturbing the girl beside her from sleep.

Myka’s eyes narrowed suspiciously but HG didn’t move until she saw Myka’s face relax again; at which point she slowly lowered her arms back down, her right hand coming to rest on Claudia’s shoulder. 

Myka didn’t look away from HG as she made her way across the room, grateful she was only in socks and making as little noise as possible herself that might wake Claudia. All her instincts should have been screaming at her to get this dangerous woman away from the girl but they remained mysteriously silent. I wonder if Pete would be vibing out right now, she mused right before the gentle brush of Helena’s fingertips through Claudia’s hair swept any thoughts of threat away too.

As she reached the bed Myka sat by Claudia’s curled up legs, the blissfully unaware junior agent now snuggled up with the two women either side of her. Keeping her voice to a whisper Myka challenged HG, 'You could have stayed around earlier, you know. To check on her.’ Instead of running away, was left unsaid.

HG broke their gaze at that, surprising Myka with the slightly abashed look on her face. It was the last response Myka would have expected. 

'You’re right of course, Darling.’ There was another moment of silence between them, filled by Claudia’s quiet breaths, before HG locked her dark eyes on Myka’s. 'I’m sorry.’

No, that is the last thing I expected, Myka thought as she struggled to keep the surprise from showing on her face.

'To be perfectly honest with you, I was scared.’

Grasping for some understanding Myka immediately asked, 'that I’d turn you over to the regents?’ 

HG gave her a sad smile which only made Myka think how much she actually preferred the cocky smirk of the Victorian’s that infuriated her so much. 

‘I have never feared the consequences of my own actions.’

Then there’s only the silence and darkness all around them and Myka can’t seem to think of any more words to break through it. She finds herself simply watching HG as the other woman watches Claudia.

When HG raises her eyes to Myka again there’s mischief in them. ‘I should be going before I am discovered.’ That slightly evil sparkle is back as she makes it sound like they’re two lovers in an illicit affair who might be caught out by a jealous husband coming home too soon. It makes Myka’s head pound and her pulse rush with what she tells herself is annoyance. But this isn’t what she feels before she smacks Pete round the head for being an adorable but frustrating dope. 

HG moves up off the bed. Claudia has rolled her head slightly so only one cheek remains smooshed into her bedding. With the gentlest touch, like she’s afraid she may break Claudia, HG brushes a few strands of hair out of her face, tucking what’s long enough behind her ear. There’s a little murmur and one of Claudia feet twitch under the cover but she doesn’t wake. 

HG rounds the end of the bed and is past Myka and to the door when the agent calls out ‘Helena.’ 

She’s afraid she’s said it too loud but there’s only a crushing absence of sounds in the room as HG turns back to her. 

 

Claudia’s eyes feel gritty and there’s a bright light somewhere nearby that is making the insides of her eyelids glow. Maybe that’s what woke her up.

She opens her eyes just a crack, the instinct to check her surroundings before she sinks back to sleep is stronger than her desire to simply pull the covers up over her head. But only just.

Everything’s a little blurry but she’s sure she can see Myka at her bedroom door. With HG. Holding hands. And now Claudia is convinced this must be some weird dream. But it’s a good weird dream, one that makes her feel warm and happy, like drinking hot chocolate. And damn if that thought doesn’t make her feel even more sleepy. 

Her eyes close on Myka and HG fading in to black.


End file.
